Music City is the home of cotton candy and hot chicken, and is no stranger to handcrafted candy.
Cotton candy glitter bombs
Nashville candy maker John Wharton and dentist William Morrison invented the first mechanical device to make cotton candy in 1897. These days, Trish Elam of Nashville-based Pandy Cotton Candy & Sweets takes the confection to the next level with her glitter bomb drink puffs and cotton candy ice cream cones. We ordered the mimosa glitter bombs and watched what happened as we dropped the 3-inch puffs into glasses of prosecco. Everyone laughed as the bombs dissolved and golden glitter began dancing in the bubbles, and then a slice of strawberry appeared. Puffs come in six other flavors, including birthday cake and pink champagne. Remember, cotton candy is ephemeral, so once you open the container, use the puffs right away.
$4 per individual puff, $13 for eight puffs, $19 for 12 puffs. Available at pandycottoncandy.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Nashville Hot Hive chicken sauce
No list of Nashville foods would be complete without hot chicken. To make it at home, we suggest using this sauce from Kris and Pam Malcontento of Nashville’s Whiskey Hound. The couple produces barbecue sauce, snack mix, spice mixes, flavored salts and peppercorns, each incorporating Tennessee whiskey. Their chicken sauce hits you first with sweetness from honey, then with a little heat from cayenne and a bourbon undertone. It produced some standout hot fried chicken. We liked the sauce on grilled chicken, too, and one of our taste testers found it to be just the right seasoning for a big pot of barbecued baked beans.
$11.99 per 12-ounce bottle. Available at thewhiskeyhound.com.
Credit: handout
Credit: handout
Handcrafted chocolates
Leon’s Candy, open in Nashville for almost four decades, still uses the recipes developed by Leon Vlahos’ grandfather Constantine. We ordered an assortment of favorites and received caramels, toffee, pecan pralines (including some flavored with Maker’s Mark), and dark, milk and white chocolate turtles. Everyone remarked on the freshness of the candy, which the family produces six days a week. It really does make a difference. We admit to being partial to toffee, but those salted, creamy caramels were heavenly.
Sampler tins from $25 per 1-pound praline assortment to $35 per 1-pound turtle or mixed assortment. Available at leonscandy.com.
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